The Black Apple
by TokehGecko
Summary: "To think this human is an Ootsutsuki descendant..." After pouring Chakra into a weird Fuuin in the Forbidden Scroll, something never seen before awakens in Naruto. Something which greatly pleases the Kyuubi.
1. Prologue

Naruto Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Genre: Kinda dark, good people actually die in here.

Author's Note: I could use a pre-reader?

Title: The Black Apple  
>Chapter 00: Prologue<p>

* * *

><p>Sweat was pouring from his hairline to his eyebrows as his eyes were scanning in rapid speed over the contents of the scroll in front of him. The scroll was huge and unclasped, it was surrounding him completely. Mizuki-sensei told him he had to learn something from the scroll and he was going to, definitely. He was going to impress his teacher, impress the entirety of Konoha!<p>

His eyes roamed over many techniques, but most required a very high Chakra Control, as in Jounin Level. He wasn't even a Genin! Gritting his teeth he continued on, in the hopes of finding something he could actually work with.

Blinking, he caught an empty square covering part of the scroll from side to side. Above the square it said:

'_Awakening Of The Dormant – Kekkai Genkai Reinforcement – Pouring Chakra into the Area underneath might pull from the well of the unknown, but it almost surely might not. Large amount of Chakra necessary. Will turn lethal if result failure'_

Naruto's eyes widened as he only truly read _'Pour Chakra in Square'_ and _'Large amount of Chakra._'

"Oh yeah! Amount of Chakra, huh? So a high Chakra Control isn't needed? I hope I have enough, Iruka-sensei once said I might just have a whole lot!" Enthusiastically, Naruto quickly put his hand down on the square and poured Chakra into it.

What followed was an eruption of Red and Blue Chakra around the blonde boy. And then there was pain.

So much pain.

He wanted to scream but he couldn't move his mouth, he couldn't move anything. He felt his jaw pop painfully, his arms burn, his legs felt like they were slowly being cut off by blunt scissors and his head like it was being smashed into pulp by hammers. He couldn't even writhe around as his own Chakra lifted him off the ground and held him in mid-air.

His view slowly turned completely dark until he stood in front of a massive cage.

"_**Interesting, human. To think you have his blood running through your veins. You might just become someone… of worth."**_

He could comprehend the words so easily, but he couldn't talk back to the voice from behind the cage. His sight vanished again and he found himself back in the forest, with the scroll still all over the floor. The pain was no longer there and he could move his body again.

Flexing his arms and kicking around a bit he came to the startling realization that he felt better… better than ever. Breathing in through the nose, he also felt… fresher. "What happened?"

"I finally found you!"

Whipping his head around, he stood face to face with Umino Iruka, one of his teachers. "Yo, Iruka-sensei!"

"What do you think you're doing with that scroll!? That's the Forbidden Scroll, Naruto! You're not allowed to even touch it!"

Naruto's enthusiastic look changed to a stupefied one. "W-what? But Mizuki-sensei told me if I could learn a Jutsu from this Scroll I would become instant Genin! He said so!"

"Mizuki?" Iruka clenched his fists and guarded Naruto all of a sudden. "He lied to you, Naruto." Here his gaze hardened as he stared up to one particular tree. "Didn't you, Mizuki?"

"Of course I did!" With a Shunshin, the grey-haired Chuunin appeared in front of them. "This Demon Brat is such a fool, falling for a trick like this so easily. I can't believe everyone in this Village is afraid of the little moron."

"Afraid?"

"Don't listen to him, Naruto!"

Mizuki shook his head at his colleague. "Don't stand in my way, Iruka. You know who the better Shinobi is between the two of us. Don't make me kill you."

"What are you… Mizuki, what the hell?! What's going on?!" Iruka was at loss for words.

"I am working for an enemy of the Leaf. He wants that." He pointed to the scroll on the ground near Naruto. "It is always highly guarded but somehow the Hokage is always soft on the Kyuubi brat. I figured he'd be able to get his hands on it. Now, die."

Suddenly, a huge Shuriken ripped through Iruka's clothing from behind and pierced him deeply in the back. The Mizuki in front of them vanished, clearly being a Bunshin.

As Iruka fell to the ground, Naruto was completely shocked. "Kyuubi brat?"

The real Mizuki landed with both feet on Iruka's back and ignored the pained shriek that followed and instead faced Naruto. He ruthlessly ripped the Shuriken from Iruka's back, eliciting yet another scream of pain from Iruka. "Yeah, you're Kyuubi. You never wondered why everyone in the village hates your guts? Why you have no friends? It's because you're the Kyuubi."

"W-what?"

"D-don't listen to him, Naruto! You're not the Kyuu-" Iruka got cut off as Mizuki harshly stomped on the wound on Iruka's back.

"Shut up or this Shuriken's gonna tear your head off, weak trash!" With a mad high chuckle he turned back to Naruto. "You're not supposed to be alive, demon boy. The Kyuubi couldn't be killed in any normal way so the Fourth Hokage had to seal it into a newborn baby. That was you. The baby was supposed to die and take the Kyuubi with it to the afterlife. But yeah… like the scum that you are you survived, keeping the Kyuubi alive inside of you. That's why everyone hates you, you little shit."

Naruto had turned completely catatonic and missed the dark chuckle from inside of him.

And then without warning, the blonde boy screamed.

Mizuki, still standing on Iruka's back, flinched at the sudden scream. After a short second or two, Mizuki snapped out of it and frowned at the screaming boy in front of him. "Looks like he lost it…. What a useless existence you are." Mizuki moved to slap Naruto out of screaming like a madman and as soon as he did...

He wanted to scream, really he did…

But he couldn't.

As soon as Mizuki touched Naruto's cheek with his hand, to slap him out of his funk, something out of this world happened.

It felt like got the life drained out of him. He couldn't take his hand back, because as soon as he touched Naruto, the blonde boy had grabbed his arm. The moment he touched him, Mizuki felt extremely weak and he could feel himself… turning tired very rapidly. He managed to take a look at the hand was still on Naruto's cheek and was shocked to see it had turned really old.

And then there was darkness.

Mizuki had died of old age.

As the grey-haired Chuunin withered to almost nothing to the ground, Naruto was still so angry and shocked.

That was when the ANBU appeared, with the Third Hokage in tow.

"Naruto! Naruto! What happened here?"

It was then that Naruto noticed that Iruka… underneath Mizuki, as the traitor had been standing on him, had died as well.

Also from old age.

"_**How very interesting. Who would have guessed that this Uzumaki child had Ootsutsuki blood… And his ability, to think Hamura's dark skill would ever resurface. This human will become a true menace to this world. This means the return of the Black Apple." **_The Kyuubi actually laughed out loud as in the real world, Naruto fainted from shock. _**"It is an honor to be sealed into a direct descendant of the Ootsutsuki. If ever I feared anyone besides Kaguya Ootsutsuki, it was definitely her dark son, Hamura Ootsutsuki. Even father had trouble dealing with his brother…"**_

Outside of Naruto's mindscape, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know what to make of the situation. Two Konoha Chuunin were dead and… had apparently turned very old in a very short amount of time. He never heard of a Jutsu like this… Did Naruto somehow have the ability to make people older and then die of old age?

Crouching down near the two corpses, Hiruzen instantly noticed that the ground around them was also… drained of life.

* * *

><p>"I don't know what to say, Hokage-sama. As soon as I enter his mind, there is only darkness. There is nothing to see. No memories, no dreams, no ambitions or anything regarding his past. There is nothing. It's like he's completely…empty." Yamanaka Inoichi, Konoha's best Mindwalker, seemed completely fine after disconnecting from Naruto's mind.<p>

After the Forbidden Scroll incident, Naruto was moved to the hospital. Today would make it day two in the hospital.

"To be honest, I was afraid of catching a glimpse or even encountering the Kyuubi, but… There was nothing. I've never seen this before, Hokage-sama. Even brain-dead Shinobi have more to show inside."

"And yet, he's perfectly fine." The aging Fire leader let out. "His health is outstanding, or so say the nurses. He's suffering from severe Chakra exhaustion, which is rather unlikely for a Jinchuuriki."

"What will you do with him now? You told me he knows he killed both Mizuki and Iruka-san."

"Yes, although I know it was all in self-defense. I'd been watching, after all." His brow furrowed. "But the All-viewing orb hasn't shown me enough. All I saw was Mizuki moving to hit Naruto in the face. The hit never really connected."

"Could it have been the Kyuubi?"

"No. We would have surely sensed it. I had three of the highest capable sensor-nin with me. They say there wasn't even Chakra used." Hiruzen sighed like a very old man. "I'll make him Genin. My plan was for him to learn the Kage Bunshin from the Scroll, but I watched him put his hand on something and then that sudden explosion of Chakra… I have no idea what happened."

"And the scroll?"

"I've managed to pin it down to 'Awakening of the Dormant.' But Naruto's parents are Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. The only Kekkai Genkai he could possibly have is more of a trait than an ability. The Uzumaki Longevity."

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I never would have guessed the ability backfired like this. It'll take awhile for me to figure things out for him. Haruma never had a Bijuu inside of him, I couldn't possibly imagine how hard it was for him to cope. At least I can heal and organize, Hamura had no one."<strong>_

Naruto's mind was blasted by images of both Iruka's and Mizuki's entire lives. Their memories became his memory, while he also retained his original.

'_**It is no wonder Hamura turned to the dark soon after they sealed their mother. I always did wonder how he was always so… knowledgeable.'**_

"Ugh…."

The Kyuubi looked down on the small human form lying in front of his cage. _**'It seems he has the healing capacity of the Ootsutsuki. I figured he would stay comatose for another week, taking my own influence on him in account even. That weird Technique from that Scroll really did wonders for my Jinchuuriki.' **_The Bijuu narrowed his eyes at the waking human. _**'His might just exceed my own.'**_

"Who… Who are you? I heard you talking?"

"_**You may call me Kurama."**_

"Kurama?"

"_**Otherwise known as the Kyuubi."**_

"The Kyuubi!?" By now, Naruto was standing up and pointing. "You're the reason everyone hates me!"

"_**I am also the reason you still live."**_

"Exactly! We both should have died!"

"… _**Silly human. That human was lying. A Bijuu like me can NEVER die. And if you play your cards right, neither can you."**_

"What are you talking about?"

"_**You have the blood of an ancient legend, Naruto. I know a few things about the ability you have. I will teach you."**_

"What the hell are you talking about?! You're the Kyuubi!" The blonde started looking around. "Wha… Where the hell am I?! This is a creepy place!"

"_**The inside of you mind. It is quite the abyss at the moment. After what you did, things have changed here. The only one who can see things in here as of now are its owner. Or in your case, since I'm sealed inside of you, owners."**_

"You are talking gibberish, Kyuubi."

"_**Call me Kurama. It is my given name. Kyuubi simply means Nine Tails. It is not a name."**_

"…." Naruto pinched himself. "I must be dreaming. The Kyuubi is actually talking to me?"

Kurama cursed as Naruto slowly vanished from his view. "_**That's bad. As soon as he wakes up in the real world, the memories of those two humans will bombard him into submission."**_ The giant fox then shrugged._** "But it's also good, he'll come back here and then he'll be easier to talk to."**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mizuki:<strong>  
><em>"_Yes, Orochimaru-sama. I will do as you say."_

_**Iruka:**  
><em>"_So that's the Kyuubi Kid, huh? Doesn't really look like a real threat to me. But I'll keep my distance just the same."_

_**Mizuki:**  
><em>"_Congratulations, Iruka! We're both Chuunin, can you believe it?!"_

_**Iruka:**  
><em>"_Perform the Henge, Naruto!"_

'_Geez, and this kid is supposed to be all dangerous?! He can't even transform!'_

_**Mizuki:**  
><em>"_Sasuke is top of the class, as you predicted. I can take him out of Konoha and to you, if you want?"_

"_Don't be a fool, Mizuki. You're still too weak. I will give you power soon, more power."_

_**Iruka:**  
><em>"_No, you idiot, you didn't find me! I found you! Quit skipping class!"_

Naruto screamed as loud as he could as he just didn't know who he was. The Third was standing by his bed and quickly held his hand, but it did nothing to assuage the situation. "Naruto! Naruto!"

But Naruto was already succumbing to the unconsciousness. "I am… Naruto?" Was the last thing The Third heard.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Welcome back, Naruto."<strong>

"… W-what's going on with me? Who am I? I am… Naruto? Or Mizuki? Iruka? Iruka-sensei? Mizuki-sensei? Naruto? The Demon Brat?" Kurama watched as Naruto fell to his knees grabbing his head in desperation. "W-who am I?!"

"**Calm down!"**

But he couldn't. He kept talking to himself.

"Am I the demon brat? I am Iruka?"

Kurama released a massive amount of Killer Intent to scare the confusion out of the blonde. It took a few seconds, but Naruto finally managed to look up to Kurama. "K-Kurama, right? The Kyuubi? This means I must be… the Demon brat?"

"**Calm down."**

After observing the human and contemplating on whether telling the boy everything would be too much, Kurama decided he didn't really care much for the human psyche. He could fix it anyway. Probably. Maybe.

"**Listen to me very carefully. You are Uzumaki Naruto. When you poured Chakra into that sealed Fuuinjutsu in the Forbidden Scroll, you have awakened your… Kekkai Genkai."** With a small blast of Chakra, Kyuubi quickly stopped Naruto from talking. **"Don't interrupt me, Naruto. Your Bloodline Limit is one only seen once before in this world. In one man. The twin brother of the Sage of the Six Paths."**

Kurama regarded Naruto in a very serious light and hesitated in continuing, before he nodded to himself and decided. **"I know everything you know, Naruto. I believe it is also time for you to know everything I know."**

And thus Kurama told him about the Sage of the Six Paths, of Kaguya Ootsutsuki and her two sons, of Hagoromo and his two sons, of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, Of the creation of the Shinobi Countries and Villages.

And of his parents, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.

He didn't tell Naruto how cursed the power that was bestowed upon him was. Just like with Haruma, it might just kill the brightness inside Naruto.

No, some things were better left unsaid.

* * *

><p>'<em>This fragile old man shouldn't be Hokage!' - Mizuki<em>

Memories, visions, opinions, experiences.

'_If only the Yondaime Hokage hadn't sacrificed himself…' – Iruka_

Thanks to Kurama, Naruto could now at least differentiate between memories he was blasted with as soon as he came face to face with someone. It still felt as if HE was thinking these things, as if HE lived through these memories. It was still so, everything was still so confusing.

"**You're lucky I am sealed inside of you. Without me, you would be completely lost now. Of course, eventually, your mind would be able to comprehend, but I just sped up the process. Human minds are inferior to ours, you see."**

At the moment, Naruto was seated in front of Hiruzen's desk. Just like with every other person, Naruto was bombarded with images in his head regarding the person he was facing. Memories of how Mizuki and Iruka had interacted with the aging leader of Fire. And also with how Iruka and Mizuki regarded the Third.

It seemed like a sneaky way of Information Gathering…

"Do you feel any different, Naruto-kun?"

Of course he did. He had completely absorbed the essences of Iruka and Mizuki. He could even perform every technique they held in their arsenal. But Kurama advised him not to share this certain fact with anyone. He could understand why this was important.

"Old man? I… I killed Iruka-sensei? "

The Third narrowed his eyes gently here. "… While it is true Umino Iruka-san has passed away, I think you are hardly to blame."

While being twelve years old, Naruto could somehow understand words spoken to him with a lot more ease. This obviously because of the recent absorption of two adult humans. "I don't understand, jiji… The-they just… Mizuki-sensei, he…" Naruto paused as he tried to gather the right words. "He tried to kill me, old man."

The blonde watched his leader nod his head understandingly. "I know, Naruto-kun."

"Then! Then!" He dropped his head. "I don't know what happened…" He mumbled.

"Self-defense is what happened, Naruto-kun. However, your self-defense was quite… extreme. Unfortunately, it swept Iruka-san along."

"My self-defense… extreme? What? I… I don't even remember what happened!" The boy rose from his seat. "What did I do, old man!? I.. Mizuki-sensei said I was the Kyuubi!"

"**You seem proficient in the art of deception already, human."** Kurama rumbled from inside.

"You're not the Kyuubi, Naruto! The demon is sealed inside of you, that's it! You're you, you're Uzumaki Naruto!" The Fire Leader roared, also getting up from his seat.

'I am also the son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina, but I'm not supposed to know this, huh?' Naruto glared at his leader defiantly, but soon dropped his head again. "I… I don't know what to do, jiji."

"You looked into the Forbidden Scroll, Naruto-kun. What did you learn?"

"I… I just poured Chakra into some weird part somewhere. At first there was an explosion of Chakra, but… after that, I didn't seem any different."

"Let me tell you something, Naruto-kun. Pay attention!"

Naruto's head shot up.

"The only thing you did was touch Mizuki. Apparently, just a simple touch is enough to make someone else die of old age. This ability is completely unheard of. Since Iruka-san was touching Mizuki, and thus indirectly you, he was met with the same fate. Your touch is very dangerous, and we don't know if it's only just coming for your hands. But for now…" The Third opened a drawer from his desk.

Naruto caught the dark green gloves the Third threw at him.

"Those are Chakra Constricting Gloves, Naruto-kun. They stop the flow of Chakra only for the one who wears them."

'**They're unnecessary, no Chakra is involved in the drain. You can control your own ability. It's a simple matter of need or no need.'** Kurama informed him. **'Just a simple touch is enough to drain anyone, and not just from your hands.'**

"Dark green, huh? I kinda like the color." Naruto grinned weakly as he put them on. "Jiji, what happens now?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and a challenging smile formed on his face. "Perform the Bunshin, Naruto-kun."

He was bombarded with knowledge from both Mizuki and Iruka. The Bunshin was nothing now.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at how easily the boy now performed the Bunshin. The Jutsu the boy before had the most trouble with. "Interesting, that was perfect, Naruto-kun."

"I… don't understand." Naruto pretended as he took a look at his D-Ranked Illusion. "How…'

"Henge, Naruto-kun."

With a flash, the Bunshin changed into an ANBU.

Hiruzen immediately recognized this ANBU to be Tenzou. He was there when Naruto killed Mizuki. "Perfect as well. Now, the Kawarimi."

It was quick, but Naruto had easily switched places with a plant in the corner of the room.

Hiruzen smiled unsurely. "Well, I guess that qualifies you as Genin, Naruto-kun."

But the old man was sure he would keep an eye on Naruto. This sudden mastery of the three basics seemed very suspicious. And he already had an idea on how this was possible.

* * *

><p>"<strong>I am unaware of the specifics, but you hold the ability to drain others of their entirety. My father and his twin brother are the two eldest sons of Kaguya Ootsutsuki. My father's name was Hagoromo Ootsutsuki and his twin brother was called Hamura Ootsutsuki. They had amazing abilities. My father had the Rinnegan, while his brother had the Byakugan. When it came to Doujutsu, my father clearly was the better of the two. But when it came to other skills, Haruma was better. Both held similar abilities, like the ability of creation and flight. But where my father had control over life, Haruma held the ability of death, as you have already experienced."<strong>

"When I touch someone, I get their everything."

"**Just about, but you receive their Chakra permanently. This will make you a very powerful human. You gain their knowledge and their presence. But I don't believe you will be able to drain Kekkai Genkai. A normal human would go insane, but Hamura was no normal human and neither are you."** Kurama closed his eyes. **"Even when I and the other Bijuu teamed up with father and fought against Hamura… We always seemed to be losing."**

"What happened to their mother, this Kaguya?"

"**She went crazy and wanted to kill my father and Haruma. In her eyes, they had stolen a lot of her Chakra. Seeing no other way, the two brothers were forced to work together to defeat their mother. Haruma, at this stage, was still… pure. But after having absorbed so many other humans, it was inevitable… He went down a different path than father. After they defeated Kaguya, my father's new enemy was his own brother. You see, Haruma wanted to change the world and make it one. After having absorbed so many lives, he went mad due to all those different… perspectives."**

"But the same thing will happen to me, then?"

"**No. Because unlike you, Haruma didn't have a Bijuu sealed inside of him. I am inside you, in your mind. I can organize your thoughts. Right now, it's still very confusing since I have but limited access. I need more. All you have to do to prevent from going mad is…"**

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"**Open this gate and allow us to become true partners."**

* * *

><p>As Naruto slowly strolled towards a training ground the old man told him to go to, he couldn't help but whistle a jovial tune. He also opted to go about differently when it came to his clothing. He had his hands in the pockets of his dark green trunks as he looked at himself. He wore a grey short-sleeved hoodie with an open sleeveless thin dark green jacket covering it. His gloves were dark green as well. His sandals weren't any different, just black ones, his socks were grey. His sleeveless jacket had pockets similar to those of a Jounin Uniform.<p>

His Hitai-ate was gone, the metal was sewed on the wrist-part of the glove of his right hand.

He was thinking about getting some glasses, because it seemed as if his eyes were turning lighter by the day… Kurama had an idea about that, though.

Now that they were true partners, Naruto felt like a totally different person. Confidence oozed off of him and he felt like he could take on the entire world more than once a day. Kurama had explained to him what being true partners meant.

Their Chakra, his and Kurama's… they would no longer be clashing constantly. So he could start working on his Chakra Control earnestly, without feeling completely hopeless about it.

Him and the Kyuubi had found out about another thing, though…

Umino Iruka was a Sensor-nin. It made sense, as it was always Iruka who found him when he was skipping class. And thinking back, he remembered how Iruka located Mizuki so easily… that night. But now Naruto was also a Sensor-nin. And the greatest part was… Since he remembers what Iruka remembers, it came as second-nature. He could sense a whole lot Shinobi around him as he walked through Konoha.

It was weird, but with the way he felt, it didn't really feel like Mizuki or Iruka died. It was more like they just started living inside of him. Of course, he still felt horrible about Iruka's death. Kurama was being a really great help when it came to the sudden memory blasts, insight and opinion moments. Those would only make it even more painful.

He suddenly felt a Shinobi approaching in high-speed and easily noticed how it stopped in a tree about twenty meters to his left. Clearly, this Shinobi was observing him. 'Could it be ANBU? This guy has a decent amount of Chakra.' Iruka's insight told him this guy was definitely a Jounin.

'**Most likely this is your new teacher. That old human told you you were going to be tested, right?'**

"Yeah, to get into a team of three Genin and a Jounin as Instructor. I wonder who my teammates will be?"

In the tree, Kakashi had definitely noticed that Naruto had noticed him. 'The boy's got good instincts…'

* * *

><p>'<strong>If important, I will simply allow them to pass. It is important for you growth and maturity.' <strong>Kurama had told him this before. Somehow, he wished he didn't see what came next…

**Iruka:  
><strong>"_Ne, Iruka-sensei?" Haruno Sakura, aged ten. "Why is he even in our class? He's only goofing around all the time and he's too stupid to understand anything! I like it when he's not here, I like it better when he skips class!"_

"_Everyone is entitled to the same amount of tutelage, Sakura-chan. Naruto is just… difficult."_

"_Difficult?" The pink-haired girl snorted. "He's annoying, loud and hopeless! I mean, look at Sasuke-kunn!"_

**Mizuki:  
><strong>"_Hey, Sasuke-kun."_

"_Mizuki-sensei?"_

"_You're going to be paired with Naruto for a spar tomorrow. Think you can take him?"_

"_That loser? Even a dead infant could take him down. He's a worthless fool."_

"_Don't be so harsh, Sasuke-kun. He might just surprise you."_

"_The truth is always harsh. We don't live in dreams, that dead-last loser does."_

Naruto shot his eyes in frustration and emotional pain. Those two memory blasts hit him as soon as he saw his future two teammates. Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. He quickly memorized the way their Chakra felt for later use and approached them.

'**Grow up, Naruto. Don't dote after people like a useless mongrel.'**

Naruto understood. He completely understood what Kurama meant with those words. These two never really liked him. In fact, they downright hated him. Naruto barely held back a glare as they were about to notice his approach. 'They are nothing but trash.'

Kurama didn't like the wording much, but it was at least a step into a better direction. The Bijuu would make sure Naruto wouldn't turn too… destructive. For his standards, anyway.

* * *

><p>"Huh? What are YOU doing here? Didn't you fail!?"<p>

Naruto considered the pink-haired girl with a dead stare, ignored her and offered the same stare to Sasuke for the same amount of time. A split second. Then he walked over to a vacant spot near a tree, dropped himself down and leaned against it.

"Don't ignore me! Why are you here?!"

"Hn. So you're our third teammate?" Sasuke answered Sakura's question easily. "Useless." The Uchiha was not pleased at all. A weak fangirl and the dead-last? Fucking fantastic.

"How can you be our third teammate, you didn't even pass the test! You can't even perform the Bunshin!"

Sasuke ignored Sakura as well and chose another tree to lean against. 'At least the dead-last stays quiet. That's the first time I've seen him do something useful.'

"S-Sasuke-kun?" The girl watched as both boys closed their eyes and ignored her. "A-ah, don't ignore me, Naruto!"

"Yo."

She shrieked like a wet cat.

Naruto and Sasuke both opened their eyes to see a grey-haired Jounin standing near Sakura all of a sudden.

"Name's Hatake Kakashi. I will be testing you on whether you have the skills needed to be Genin. If you have the necessary talent, we'll do introductions. If you don't, I don't need to know anything about you, so…" With that, he produced two bells from his pocket and dangled them in front of the three fresh Genin. "Two bells. If you can snatch one, you will be Genin. No rules, you have two hours."

Sasuke instantly vanished. Sakura blinked, but soon followed suit.

Naruto however, got bombarded with sudden knowledge from Iruka.

**Iruka:**

'_The Yondaime's Bell Test. It's a test on teamwork. It tests whether you can rely on and work with people you've never worked with before.'_

'**It's convenient, isn't it? This Iruka human has a vast amount of knowledge of Konoha's inner workings. You should choose well on who you absorb next time. A higher-ranked Shinobi seems wise.'**

"Two bells, huh?" Naruto muttered as he rose from his position. "Doesn't it seem a bit too obvious… Kakashi-sensei?" Here, Naruto dryly winked and slowly walked away from the Jounin. "Two hours, huh? I'll show you. Those two… They will never work with me."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed dangerously. 'He knows the purpose of this test in just under five seconds?'

As the blonde Jinchuuriki slowly walked through the shadows of trees, he couldn't help but wonder about it. 'I'll be Genin if I work alongside those two. Those two who hate my guts. Why would I want teammates who hate my guts? No. No, I'm not going to be a fool anymore! I want teammates who will watch my back. Screw those two. For the next two hours, I'm gonna sleep. Without me cooperating, they will fail as well.' He snorted shortly. 'They deserve to fail. Maybe someday I'll find teammates who don't hate me.'

'**Heh. A wise decision. You need competent people around you. Competent people who WANT to watch your back.'**

'You're right, Kurama. I'm just gonna sit this one out.'

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

I know I usually follow the Canon quite closely, but this fic is gonna go about things quite differently. This will be a BAMF-Naruto Fic, but then, when don't I write those? And yes, at age twelve, Naruto is already the perfect Jinchuuriki.

Are those memory blasts and insight moments confusing? If you know of better way to get these across, I'm all ears!

Perhaps you can already guess where I'm going with some of the things Naruto can do… Like, who will be his next Absorption?

Hope you liked the prologue!


	2. Knowledge

Naruto Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Author's Note: No

* * *

><p>The Black Apple<p>

Chapter 1: Knowledge

* * *

><p>He couldn't really pinpoint the feeling, but if he'd have to guess… Arrogance. Naruto chuckled to himself as he watched Sasuke fruitlessly trying to get the upper hand on Hatake Kakashi.<p>

_Hatake Kakashi, supposedly wielder of a thousand Jutsu. Carries one Sharingan Eye of his deceased teammate Uchiha Obito _

'Both Iruka and Mizuki knew this, huh?' Naruto wondered to himself as he realized he was growing more accustomed to the Memory Blasts. 'How come I didn't recognize his Chakra from before?'

'**Memories, humans are quite fickle about them.'** Kurama interjected. **'I'd venture a guess here that this Kakashi wasn't close to either Iruka or Mizuki.'**

'This touch and absorb thing could become quite… addictive.' The blonde Genin would-be tilted his head in wonder. 'Why don't I just drain everyone of their essence?'

'**You're still weak, Naruto. Besides you being weak, there's also the question on whether your actions will become too… noticeable. A higher-ranked Jounin such as Hatake Kakashi… He will be missed. You will probably be dealt with in a manner you are not particularly fond of.'**

In the field, Sasuke was just releasing a Fire Technique on Kakashi. The Jounin had vanished even before Sasuke had released the Jutsu.

'I suppose.' Naruto agreed. He recognized the technique Kakashi used on Sasuke instantly, thanks to both Mizuki's and Iruka's memories inside of him. 'Doton, Shinshu Zanshu no Jutsu, huh?' With that, he came to the startling realization that he already knew many Jutsu… He knew all the Jutsu Iruka and Mizuki knew, after all!

But he wasn't the hothead he had been before anymore. No, he now had thought patterns averaged from himself, Mizuki and Iruka. He grinned as he rose from his position. He didn't find Sasuke's head sticking out of the ground funny at all. Well, maybe a little bit still… The old Naruto would laugh into next month.

_Uchiha Sasuke. He has lost his entire family thanks to his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, slaughtering them all_

_He is one of Orochimaru-sama's targets. I forgot to tell Kabuto-sama in what team he's going to be placed_

'Orochimaru-sama? Kabuto-sama?' The Jinchuuriki narrowed his eyes as a visual memory blast hit him and he knew exactly who Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto were. 'Kabuto is currently a Genin from Konoha and a spy for Orochimaru, who is the leader of Otogakure..'

Kurama chuckled madly. **'It seems Iruka is not the only one who's useful. This Mizuki human knows a thing or two as well.'**

In the field, Sasuke was desperately trying to dig himself up from the ground, to no avail. Naruto watched how Sakura came running, but suddenly screamed and fainted as soon as she saw Sasuke's head sticking out from the ground. Before, Naruto would be all over Sakura, protecting her and whatnot. But now, he wasn't even thinking about it. 'Otogakure, huh? This Orochimaru guy sounds interesting.'

Memories from both Iruka and Mizuki told Naruto that Orochimaru was a missing-nin. He was a teammate to Jiraiya and Tsunade and together they were the legendary Sannin. Students of the current Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. 'I can actually drain anyone outside of Konoha easily, right?'

'**Yes. That shouldn't be too much of a problem.'** The great Fox Demon was amused. **'It is… fun… to be on this side of the Ootsutsuki.'**

"So… You're not trying to catch these bells, Naruto?"

The blonde had sensed the Jounin a minute ago, so he calmly turned around and regarded Kakashi with a bored look. "You're a Jounin. An Academy Student like me can't possibly succeed without the help of those two." He nodded over his shoulder at Sakura and Sasuke. "I don't plan on doing useless things, Kakashi-san."

"You'll go back to the academy if things continue like this."

"Perhaps that is for the best then." Here, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki actually grinned. "Or were you perhaps ordered to pass us? The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and the last Uchiha sent back to the academy, it doesn't sound good, not good at all."

"Careful. There's a law on that, remember?" The jovial tone the Jounin was using was suddenly gone.

"Ah!" Naruto scratched the back of his head in mock regret. "My bad, Kakashi-san!" The blonde then sighed as he considered the Jounin in front of him. "Honestly, though… I'd rather be sent back to the academy than to be in a team where I'm not wanted."

'It looks like he's showing his true self… I can't really respond to his comment, though.' Kakashi put his Icha Icha book away. "You'd waste another whole year? Just because you don't want to be in a team with Sakura and Sasuke?"

Kakashi held back a blink as Naruto actually sent him a glance of utter boredom. "Don't you think that's the wrong question to ask, Kakashi-san?" The Jinchuuriki shook his head and turned away from the Jounin. "I'll clarify. I'd rather be a civilian than be on a team that will get me killed."

* * *

><p>Panting and with his hands on his knees, he considered his options. The pink-haired useless existence wouldn't be of any help. Perhaps that blonde nuisance could prove to be enough of a distraction for him to take the bells. Maybe he'd even give the dobe a bell afterwards for the provided assistance.<p>

Probably not.

Uchiha Sasuke glared at his nonchalant opponent, who was slowly flipping pages of a small book in his hands. The Uchiha didn't take well to being underestimated. Gritting his teeth, the raven-haired boy chose to retreat and find his blonde classmate.

After a good five minutes, Sasuke finally found the blonde slumped over against a tree, peacefully sleeping. He resisted the urge to poke a Kunai through his chest and instead shoved him awake.

"Dead-last."

"Sasuke."

"Let's take down that Jounin together."

"Nah."

Sasuke blinked as Naruto went back to sleep.

What just happened?

He was about to shove the blonde some more, but suddenly found himself pinned against the same tree the blonde was sleeping against. More noticeably though was the Kunai resting against the skin just under his right eye. "Touch me again and say goodbye to one your eyes, Sasuke."

He swallowed nervously. With the way the Kunai was positioned, Sasuke knew it wasn't impossible for Naruto to take his eye out.

Pushing Sasuke to the right from himself, Naruto fell back to the ground and tried to make himself comfortable against the tree once more. "Leave me alone."

Not thinking about how easy Naruto had him pinned against that tree, he tried again. "Look, we can pass this test without Sakura. Despite you being dead-last, I think you'll be less of a nuisance than her in a team." He scoffed as he turned away from him and stared at the direction he thought Kakashi was still waiting at. "She'll just die from being too useless."

Turning back around, Sasuke gritted his teeth as he realized Naruto had the audacity to snore! Another voice stopped him from waking the blonde up again. "Looks like he won't be of any help, Sasuke-kun." Turning quickly and grabbing a Kunai, Sasuke braced himself. But Kakashi was still reading his Icha Icha. "Ah, no need to be so nervous, Sasuke-kun. It is you who should be attacking me, after all."

"I wasn't expecting anything from a dead-last, anyway. I'll get those bells myself." Launching himself forward, Sasuke once again found himself trapped. This time, in a tree. "D-damn you!"

Kakashi simply giggled as he walked away. "Oh, Kikyo-chan, you're so naughty! Behave!"

* * *

><p>Sakura finally woke up from her nightmare of Sasuke being decapitated and took in her surroundings. She quickly remembered she was taking another test to become a Genin and tried to locate any of the others. To her surprise, Kakashi was lying down on the ground quite close to her, sleeping with an orange book on top his head.<p>

"Chance!"

As she reached for the bells, she suddenly found herself with her back on the ground.

"How rude, to attack a man while he's sleeping." Kakashi reprimanded as he walked away from the girl.

The would-be Genin realized Kakashi must have used Kawarimi with herself and at the same time bound her feet and hands behind her back. "I-I can't free myself!"

"No need to scream." The departing Jounin calmly let out. "There's no one near to hear you anyway."

Hearing sounds, Naruto slowly opened his right eye to see Sasuke fruitlessly try to escape from the tree his body was entrapped in. Only his head was sticking out. Pointing his finger at the Uchiha, Naruto laughed. "Haha! Useless!"

"Shut up, dead-last! I'll kill you when I get out of here!"

Within that same second, Naruto was in front of the Uchiha with a Kunai in Sasuke's mouth, as he was still screaming out the threat. "How about YOU shut up before I make your entire face a fucking mouth?"

He was dead serious.

Naruto was dead serious.

Sasuke realized this as Naruto was glaring the mother of all glares down at him.

There was no smile on the blonde's face. No grin or even a scowl. Just dead neutralism.

"_**I think we should both decide that… you will never call me a dead-last again, right, Sasuke?"**_

The Uchiha shivered a bit as Naruto let a little Killing Intent get carried along with the question. With the Kunai positioned as it was, Sasuke couldn't even nod his head.

Satisfied, Naruto removed the Kunai from Sasuke's mouth and walked away. "Get yourself out of that tree, man." Taking a look over his shoulder, he added. "You look ridiculous."

* * *

><p>"That was pretty… disturbing."<p>

Sighing, Naruto stared at Kakashi in slight wonder. The jinchuuriki had walked quite a distance away from Sasuke when Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of him. "He asked for it."

The Jounin tilted his head. "I don't think I heard him asking for a Kunai in his mouth."

With a grin, Naruto also tilted his head. "It was a very silent question. You had to have been there." He suddenly got in fighting position, making Kakashi adjust his own stance slightly. Now the blonde wanted to fight? "But we both know that wasn't a real Kunai. Not like this one…" He started as he grabbed a real Kunai from his holster.

Throwing it at the Jounin, Naruto had already gathered Chakra to perform a Kawarimi with the thrown Kunai to surprise the Jounin.

Impressed, the Jounin dodged and allowed Naruto to sail past him and quickly ducked under three shuriken thrown over the blonde's shoulder. "You like wasting Chakra." Kakashi stated.

Performing handseals, Naruto ignored the Jounin and simply grinned. "Taijuu Kawarimi!"

Kakashi sensed that Naruto had gathered a lot of Chakra and realized the blonde was trying to prove his point.

"Yeah… wasting Chakra is my thing…"

The book in Kakashi's right hand had turned into Naruto.

That was when Kakashi turned serious.

No, this concerned Icha Icha. This was where he HAD to turn serious.

* * *

><p>"I had to fail them, Hokage-sama. They weren't working together at all."<p>

"Be that as it may, you'll have to gather them once again. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and the last of the Uchiha have to become Genin as of now. Test them again and force teamwork as you go."

The copycat Ninja sighed. He was seated in front of the Hokage as both of them were discussing the test. "Sensei's son… He's become quite jaded."

"That is understandable, considering." Hiruzen placed his hands on the table and rested his chin on them. "What of his skills?"

"He covered a wide area with his Chakra to be able to replace himself with everything in said area. He called it the Advanced Replacement Technique." Kakashi chuckled here. "It isn't unheard of, it just costs too much Chakra. And it won't work on a Jounin, obviously, since it is slow and quite predictable. He's lucky he has that much Chakra. What got to me though is… at one time, he replaced himself with the bells…"

The Hokage chuckled mischievously. "So he actually passed your test?"

"Nah, I got the bells back before he could even touch them. But it was ingenious, I think he was trying to prove a point. That he didn't need the other two to get a bell." The grey-haired Jounin rubbed his head in slight frustration. "He got this idea in his head that Sakura and Sasuke don't want be a team with him."

"Well can you blame him? His entire class was against him and even the teachers were. The only teacher that wasn't was Iruka, and the boy killed him."

"Yes, you've told me. He has a very dangerous ability. He didn't show me anything dangerous, though. I still find it hard to believe that he got rid of two Chuunin-leveled Shinobi."

"It's what happened, Kakashi. And I have a suspicion that his ability is more advanced than what first meets the eye. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, you immediately report to me."

"Hm, actually… I think he's a Sensor-nin. He spotted me before… while I was in hiding."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed dangerously. Kakashi, a former ANBU Captain, in hiding and he was still sensed? "Exactly things like that… You see, his skill… this uncanny ability of his. I think he can absorb people by touch… If what I think is true, he can also absorb their Jutsu and their abilities." The Hokage's expression turned quite grave. "Umino Iruka was a Sensor-nin. Uzumaki Naruto definitely wasn't."

* * *

><p>The next day…<p>

Sakura was happily walking next to her precious Sasuke-kun, following after Kakashi. She was pleasantly surprised to see Sasuke in front of her door in the morning. Of course, Kakashi was also there, but she hardly noticed. There was another test for them, another Genin Trial. They were now on the way to pick up the dead-last of the class.

Just like Sasuke, Naruto lived by himself. But unlike the Uchiha, Naruto didn't have an entire estate to himself.

No, the blonde just had a small apartment located in the slums of Konoha. If Sakura wasn't paying all of her attention to Sasuke, she might have felt a bit of pity for Naruto.

Sasuke, on the other hand, understood a bit more about Naruto now.

Knocking on the door to Naruto's apartment, Kakashi felt something was off. He wasn't a sensor-nin, but it did feel like there were a lot of people inside Naruto's apartment.

Kage Bunshin, maybe?

But as Naruto opened the door, the apartment was completely empty save for the blonde.

And completely empty it was… save for a refrigerator, a small round table and one dirty chair.

"This place stinks."

"Shut up, Sasuke!"

Seeing the blonde act like himself again, Sasuke considered the weird Killing Intent from the other day just as a one-time thing. Maybe the blonde had just been cranky or something.

Kakashi had also used his nose, but smelled things all the others couldn't… Blood.

"Why are you guys here anyway? I'm busy."

"Busy with what? Definitely not with cleaning your apartment." The Uchiha continued as his eyes scanned his entire living quarters in the blink of an eye.

The Jounin in their midst disagreed with Sasuke's observation, the blonde actually HAD been cleaning. Naruto was probably getting rid of all the blood. He could smell it even better now that everyone was inside. What had happened? Whose blood was this? Naruto's?

"It's so… small." Came Sakura's voice. "You live here by yourself?"

"No, I just like to hang out here." Dryly turning from Sakura to Kakashi, he frowned. "So? Why are you here?"

* * *

><p>"Trust."<p>

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other and Naruto, while Naruto simply frowned at Kakashi.

Kakashi had taken them back to the same training ground from yesterday. They were all now seated on the ground.

"That's what we're missing. Yesterday, two Genin teams passed their test. Team Eight under Yuuhi Kurenai consists of Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino and Hyuga Hinata . Team Ten is led by Sarutobi Asuma and his students are Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Chouji. They have what you lack."

"They trust each other?"

Kakashi tilted his head left and right as he considered Sakura's question. "Partially. They are all familiar with each other. They KNOW each other. You three, on the other hand, don't know each other at all. Therefore, I'm going to ask you questions and you are going to answer me."

"Kakashi."

"Call me Kakashi-sensei, Naruto. And what is it?"

"My assumption from yesterday is correct, then? You have to pass us because-"

The copycat quickly cut the blonde off. "Also, partially. It's my turn to ask the questions now." He quickly continued, lest the other two would start asking what Naruto meant. "Sasuke, what do you know about Sakura?"

Sasuke's reply was quick. "Nothing." At which Sakura dropped her head in depression.

"Try harder."

Sasuke scowled and glared at the grey-haired Jounin. "She has pink hair. Her voice is very loud. Her last name is… Haru… ka?"

Sakura looked like her heart had been flattened by stones.

Kakashi semi-dropped his head and kept his gaze steady on the Uchiha. "Haruno. Her name is Haruno Sakura. "

"That's all I know." Which means 'I don't really care', if one had a Sasuke translator on hand.

"Not good enough, Sasuke. Try harder. I am sure the other way around she knows more about you?"

That quip earned Kakashi a smoldering glare, but Sasuke tried again. "She graduated with top marks close to some of my own." He then turned to the person in question, who seemed absolutely thrilled by this. With great delight she waited for his next comment. "She is not ready to become a Shinobi."

The girl actually dropped backwards on the ground at that.

Kakashi didn't reprimand the Uchiha but motioned to the boy to continue. This was needed for the team. "She has little to no skills. No wait…" Sasuke mock-thought about it. "She has NO skills. Except…" He slowly and begrudgingly let out "I think she has a photographic memory. She seemed to remember everything that was written down on the whiteboard in class." Sakura was back in seated position with a blinding smile on her face.

"It was very annoying." The Uchiha added.

And she was back on the ground.

Kakashi nodded his head. "I suppose that'll do. My conclusion is that you don't know her at all. I will see to it THAT will change. Now, what do you know about Naruto?"

"Why am I the only one getting these stupid questions?"

Kakashi simply offered a cheerful eye-smile.

"He's the dead-last. He can't remember anything." Naruto seemed unperturbed as Sasuke started. "His so-called pranks he pulls off every day are a desperate cry for attention he only sometimes gets."

At that, both Kakashi and Naruto lifted their eyebrows. That was pretty accurate! Sakura was swooning too much to hear.

"His clothes are ridiculous." Sasuke finished.

Naruto looked down at his attire and actually… agreed. "You know what, Sasuke?" Sasuke frowned at the blonde, daring him to tell him he was wrong about the orange monstrosity. Instead, he received a single nod. "You are absolutely right. First thing I do after this weird meeting is get some new clothes."

"Still, that's not enough, Sasuke. Try some more."

"Hn." Sasuke looked at the ground as if he was thinking about whether to continue. "He's hated by everyone."

"Huh?" Sakura actually caught that. "What do you mean?"

Sasuke didn't deem Sakura worthy enough for a reply.

"Yes, what do you mean, Sasuke?"

The young avenger pondered if Kakashi was worthy enough for a reply, but in the end sighed and elaborated. "The entire village hates him. It's obvious. Any moron can see. Even blind morons can see." He pointedly looked at Sakura, before turning back to Kakashi. "Some fools see less than blind morons, though."

"That's not very nice, Sasuke." But Sakura didn't understand that the insult was aimed at her anyway, Kakashi realized. "I suppose that's eno-"

"Why does everyone hate Naruto?" The girl of the group suddenly asked.

Naruto rolled his eyes at both Sasuke and Kakashi. They were real fools talking about it out in the open. He supposed he could come up with "Because of my pranks. I'm getting real ridiculous lately."

"Don't be stupid." Sasuke surprisingly reacted quickly. "No amount of pranks can make everyone hate you." He locked eyes with the blonde. "There's something else."

"Heh! Mind your own fucking business, Sasuke." The Uchiha glare was turned on instantly at Naruto's rude response.

"Naruto! Language!" Kakashi quickly let out, but Sasuke continued back.

"As if anyone's interested in your pitiful life, dobe."

"Alright, that's enough." Kakashi started to wonder if these two could be in a team together. What was the Sandaime thinking? "Your turn, Naruto."

"Alright." The blonde started before Kakashi could say who he had to start with. "Legendary wielder of the Sharingan."

Sasuke immediately sat back in confusion at the weird opening. 'What?'

"Hatake Kakashi!" Dramatically, he rose both his arms over his head. "It is rumored you know a thousand Jutsu because of that Jutsu Stealer!"

"Very funny, Naruto." The lazy Jounin interjected. "What do you know about Sasuke?"

"Whoa, not fair!" It seems Naruto still had his playful moments as he grinned at the Jounin. "We all have to tell a story about each other but you're not playing? Not cool, Kakashi!"

Sasuke agreed angrily, still a bit ticked about having to go first but more about this Jounin having a Sharingan. "You have a Sharingan!? You are not an Uchiha!"

"Obviously." Naruto quickly threw in there.

"Alright…" With a drawl and a sigh, Kakashi folded his arms and hung his head back a bit. "In the war… one of my teammates was an Uchiha. He died, sacrificing himself to save me and my other teammate. He is a true hero of Konoha. He gave me his Sharingan Eye before he died."

The Uchiha seemed to accept this, also sensing the sadness the Jounin was trying to contain. "What was his name?"

"Uchiha Obito… he didn't leave anyone behind, he was an orphan."

Sasuke dropped his head in mental pain, suddenly remembering the past, where the Uchiha were still alive.

"So, what do you know about Sasuke, Naruto?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Naruto sat cross-legged with an elbow on one of his knees and his head leaning into the palm of his hand as he decided to play this game. "I know so much about young Uchiha Sasuke, where to start?" He ignored Sasuke's glare and Kakashi's look of amusement. Even Sakura seemed a bit amused. "I think Senju Hashirama is still alive, because I don't know how else to explain that gigantic tree up his ass!"

"!" Sakura turned red in embarrassment.

"Dobe!" Sasuke looked ready to murder the blonde at least five times.

"Naruto. Be serious!" Kakashi was very clear.

"Fine, fine!" And serious he did turn. "Uchiha Sasuke is the only survivor of the Uchiha Massacre. He is one of the only two Uchiha still alive in this world. The other is Uchiha Itachi, the one responsible for killing off the entire Uchiha Clan."

Kakashi dangerously narrowed his eyes and was quick enough to stop Sasuke from assaulting Naruto. Holding Sasuke in a lock, Kakashi wasn't sure on whether to let Naruto continue, but decided to let him and gestured so.

"I didn't mean to offend, Sasuke." The Jinchuuriki tried to give them his most reassuring smile. "Anyway, Sasuke has good Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, haven't seen him use Genjutsu yet. I've only seen him use the Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu so yeah, he knows that one." The blonde looked up to the sky as he thought about all the information he had from Iruka and Mizuki and didn't know if he should share that. "He graduated top of our class and he… likes girls with long hair?"

"That's not true!"

"So… you like girls with short hair?"

"No!"

"Bald girls?"

"Shut up, dead-last!" Kakashi was still holding him in a head-lock.

"Oh, sorry." Naruto, still seated peacefully, bowed his head shortly at the not-so-peacefully Sasuke. "I didn't know."

Sakura was VERY interested in the topic. "Didn't know what?"

Slowly turning to Sakura, Naruto explained. "He's into boys."

…

"NOOOOO!" Sakura fell unconscious.

"I'm going to kill you with your own mouth, Naruto!"

"My own… What the hell, man?"

"Calm down, Sasuke!"

* * *

><p>Half an hour later…<p>

Sasuke was still glaring deep wounds into Naruto, but the blonde seemed oblivious. Obliviously cheerful.

"Seems you've finally woken up."

"I just had the worst nightmare…" Groggily, the pink-haired girl rubbed her eyes as she focused on her surroundings. She then noticed where she was. "No! Don't tell me it's true!"

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a little Sasuke thought it might get rid of a fangirl… But Sasuke instantly rectified the situation. "Of course not, you idiot!"

But the girl could understand Naruto's logic. If Sasuke didn't like girls with long or short hair, or those bald… then what? For fear of the answer, she quickly paid attention to Kakashi's waving hand in front of her. "Now that you're back with us, Naruto can continue with you."

"Sure." Naruto plopped back down on the ground. "Haruno Sakura also graduated with top marks, just below Sasuke in some areas. She was bullied for a long time because of her large forehead, but that stopped as soon as she became friends with Yamanaa Ino." Here, he turned to Sakura. "I think you should really be nicer to her, Sakura."

A question mark hovered above Sakura for a moment. Naruto was surprisingly attentive during the academy, it seemed.

"She, just like all the other girls, grew her hair out to try and win Sasuke over." Naruto snorted and surprisingly, so did Sasuke. "It… has proven fruitless." Naruto concluded dramatically with a deadpan expression.

"Hm, quite superficial information, but it'll do. It simply proves certain points. Your turn, Sakura."

"Sasuke-kun is the rookie of the year." She immediately started. "He likes girls with long hair." Clearly, she hadn't heard Naruto. "He lost his entire family at a young age and has a broken soul that needs to be repaired by the power of true love!"

Again, both Naruto and Sasuke snorted. One in amusement, the other in disgust.

"The only thing broken here will be Naruto's nose."

"Sasuke, don't interrupt."

"Hey, stay away from my nose!"

Sakura continued as if they were all were still paying attention. "He knows many Jutsu and will probably become Jounin in no time!"

"Sakura, no assumptions, just what you really know." Kakashi supplied.

"What I really… know?"

The Jounin nodded.

Sakura looked at Sasuke and seemed very uncertain all of a sudden. "I… I don't know a lot about him."

"What about Naruto?"

Guiltily, she offered the blonde a look of apologies. "E-even less?"

Kakashi sighed and clasped his hands together. "Well… Let's change that. Now tell us about yourselves. You start, Sakura."

* * *

><p>'How can that idiot kill me with my own mouth? That's impossible!' Naruto was thinking as he made his way back home.<p>

'**You are getting quite used to your ability. The old you is resurfacing rapidly and more powerfully. This is good. We don't want to become too noticeable.'**

'Yeah, I've realized the same thing.' Naruto thought back. 'Especially last night gave me some much needed… clarity.'

Kurama chuckled sinisterly. 'Yes, last night was very… enlightening.'

'So, I'm a Genin now. I knew Kakashi had been ordered to pass us anyway. This means I'll be in a team with Sasuke and Sakura for quite some time… Wonder how that'll go?'

'**Never trust an Uchiha, Naruto. They are known as the emotional Shinobi. Their emotions make them more powerful, but also less stable, mental-wise. Stab him in his back before he can stab you in yours.'**

'Nah, I'm not gonna stab that poor sap in his back. I'm going to cut his arms off and let him live. See what kind of Shinobi he'll be without arms.'

'**Hn, perhaps a leg as well? Uchiha are quite gifted with their eyes.'**

'Yeah, maybe. But then he'll look ridiculous!'

'**And with no arms he won't?'**

* * *

><p>Their first C-Rank Mission. They had to escort Tazuna, a bridge builder, back to the Country he came from: Wave Country. They were to also protect him from bandits.<p>

As Team Seven followed after Tazuna, Naruto was having a mental conversation with Kurama.

'**He called it Shinzui Bunshin.'**

'The Clone of Essence." Naruto understood. 'That means, they're actually still alive, inside of me.'

'**Supposedly, but they are undoubtedly yours. I think they're just Clones in which you have temporarily stored essence in. You should see them as… slaves.'** Kurama paused, trying to remember whatever he could from centuries back. '**There are no handseals for this Technique. It is simply a sub-skill for your ability. You can just… 'will' it. I've seen my father's brother do it, he simply created them from out of his body, like an extension. They all had their own existence, their own character, but when it came to the blood, they were Hamura, they couldn't disobey his commands. The same will be true for you. You can always summon those you have absorbed and let them fight for you, they have no choice in the matter.'**

'How do I perform this Shinzui Bunshin?'

'**I do not know. Experiment.'**

'Wow, see those two idiots? What are they doing? Just standing around like that?'

'**They have concealed themselves in a Genjutsu. Apparently, they are supposed to be a puddle of water on the ground. They're weak. They won't add anything.'**

And then, the duo moved for Kakashi. Naruto smiled and quickly jumped in front of the Kakashi, knocking the chains away with a Kunai. "Hooooaaa! The great Uzumaki Naruto sees through your tricks!"

"Move aside, brat. We'll kill your teacher and then the old man. We won't kill you if you get lost." One of them uttered.

Sasuke was shocked at the speed in which Naruto had moved while Sakura still had to come to terms with it.

"Hang back, Naruto. These are the Demon Brothers of the Mist. They are known for their poison."

Carelessly shrugging, Naruto didn't hang back at all. "Not only that, Kakashi-sensei. They work for Momochi Zabuza."

'How does he know that?' Gozu, one of the Demon Brothers, thought. 'Only few have that information!'

Meizu didn't care and rushed for Naruto. "Too bad you'll die young!" He raged as his claw neared Naruto's face.

Instead, Kakashi used Shunshin and knocked him out in one blow. "You do realize I'm a Jounin, right?"

Gozu, now the only still conscious, dropped to his knees on the ground and surrendered. "Crap."

* * *

><p>The mist didn't let them see where Naruto disappeared to, so now Sasuke and Sakura were stuck protecting Tazuna with just the two of them. Kakashi was still fighting Zabuza in this horrid Mist Technique.<p>

Zabuza had ambushed them further down the road and Kakashi had quickly ordered them to stay put and guard Tazuna. After a while of exchanging blows, Kakashi was kicked away right into the water. They couldn't really see what happened, but Kakashi's voice suddenly yelled out for them to take Tazuna and retreat.

Apparently, the Jounin was trapped in a Water Prison. He told his subordinates that as long as he was trapped, so was the real Zabuza.

Water Clones of Zabuza were approaching them from the distance and Kakashi told them Water Clones would lose their substance when they moved too far away from the caster.

That's when Naruto jumped into the fray with no warning at all, leaving Sasuke and Sakura behind.

In the Mist, unprotected but fearless, Naruto willed a Shinzui Bunshin into existence. Chakra poured outside of Naruto and seemed to rapidly take form.

Kakashi could see him from where he was trapped. "Naruto! Run! He's too much for you! He won't be able to keep the Water Clone up if it's too far away from him!"

The Genin ignored the Jounin and continued concentrating on the Technique. And then, Umino Iruka and Touji Mizuki stood to his left and right.

'**You did well, Naruto.'**

Kakashi's eyes widened from inside of the Water Prison.

Coming from out of Naruto's existence, both Mizuki and Iruka knew all about their predicament.

"Tch… I can't believe we've been reduced to be his toys…" Mizuki growled out. "And there's nothing we can do about it."

"It's what you deserve, Mizuki." Iruka bit out in equal harshness. He turned to Naruto. "I want you to know I don't blame you for what's happened, Naruto. You couldn't have prevented it. Besides, in a way, you've made me immortal."

'**When they die, they die, Naruto. You can choose to absorb them back into you. But you cannot choose to… release them from their captivity. Without you nearby, they will wither and die. They cannot move against you and cannot disobey you. They are quite the… convenient… pieces of existence.'**

"So we're up against Momochi Zabuza, the devil of the Mist?" Mizuki sighed and accepted his fate. "Even if I don't want to, I don't really have a choice anyway. My life is not mine anymore."

"Stop complaining, they're coming."

Naruto watched as Mizuki and Iruka dealt with four Water Clones, but the Fifth managed to wound them both enough to drop them to the ground. Naruto watched their bodies drop to the ground and decided he would absorb them back into himself when the fight was over. Now they were slowly bleeding to death.

The fifth Water Clone approached. "What kind of Clones were they?"

"Shinzui Bunshin." Naruto answered. "So two Chuunin was too easy for you, huh? I guess I can't underestimate you. And you're just a Water Clone, imagine what the real one is like!"

The Water Clone-Zabuza barked out a laugh. "Exactly, kid. Now be a good boy and don't move…"

This time way quicker, Naruto warped out another Clone out of himself. One with more Chakra Presence…

The Water Clone's eyes widened as he recognized who stood before him.

Even Kakashi's eyes widened in… fear…

"Pitiful." Came the voice of Naruto's new slave. "An elite Jounin of Konoha, trapped by a meager Suiro no Jutsu." The newcomer turned his head over his shoulder and motioned at Naruto. "Despite my permanent predicament, I am at least relieved to know this one holds much potential. Unlike you, Kakashi, this one will get very far…"

"S-Shimura…" Zabuza started as he stepped back in caution.

"… Danzo…" Kakashi finished in slight despair.

Naruto simply grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>_-=~^**^~=-_ FLASHBACK _-=~^**^~=-_<strong>

"They say talking to yourself is the first sign of mental instability."

Whipping his head around quickly, Naruto was surprised to see an old man standing in his apartment. 'I-I didn't sense this guy at all!' He had been talking out loud to Kurama. Narrowing his eyes, he immediately sensed five incoming Chakra Presences that surrounded his apartment from the outside. 'He brought company.' The Chakra Presence of the ever-present ANBU that was guarding him was gone. This meant that this was no visit under the Hokage's orders.

'**Be careful, Naruto. This guy is very powerful.'**

"Who are you?" He tried to let out as intimidating as possible.

"I've heard you've failed the Genin Examination, Uzumaki Naruto. I have come with an offer."

"So… The old man doesn't know you're here?" Naruto suddenly grinned as he locked eyes with the man with the cane.

'**I know what you're thinking, Naruto. Play it smart, this man is very wary… You'll have to be really quick.'**

**_-=~^**^~=-_ END FLASHBACK _-=~^**^~=-_**

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Sorry if the Chap was a bit rushed or rushed as hell, my head is already way farther ahead with this story and I want to get there quick!

This is not a BASH-fic. In the beginning it may have appeared to be a bit of a Sakura-BASH, but she was kinda clueless in the beginning in CANON… I just wanted to slap it out of her by use of this…

In case you were wondering, the Shinzui Bunshin is quite similar to Edo Tensei, only… the Shinzui Bunshin don't look like zombies. They look very much alive. And also, yes, Naruto absorbed Danzo during that flashback. I chose for this because I think it's what would really happen. If Danzo caught wind of Naruto failing the Genin Exam, he would surely make a move. (at least, that's what I think.) If you disagree, then congratulations for disagreeing.

This also means, that Naruto is now already one of the most powerful Shinobi in Konoha. I've warned you… this will be a BAMF-OP-Fic. It will head to the end where you'll see Kaguya and Naruto go toe to toe…. On equal grounds!

Thanks for reading!


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